Tag Archive for: Miami Heat

Forgotten Heat in Miami: Bimbo Coles

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Only eight players in the 32 years of Miami Heat history have played seven or more seasons with the team. Only one is in the Hall of Fame and has his number retired. Udonis Haslem leads them all with his 17 seasons and counting, followed by the GOAT Dwyane Wade’s 15. Both will join Alonzo Mourning with #40 and #3 in the rafters soon enough. Then you have Keith Askins with nine, Mario Chalmers with eight, and finally Joel Anthony (really?), Grant Long and Bimbo Coles with seven.

“My cousin named me that when I was 5 months old. There was an old country song, ‘Bimbo, Bimbo, where ya gonna go-e-o’ and it stuck,” Coles told the Bluefield Daily Telegraph in 2018.  “I tried to get rid of it, but everybody was like nobody is going to remember you by your real name, Vernell, but people are going to remember Bimbo.”

Ummm…Bimbo? Bad news. It doesn’t matter what we call you. You are the brand-new inductee of the “Forgotten Heat” Class of 2020.

NO DUMB BIMBO

Coles was part of the team’s foundation and played for a Heat that stood (or at least tried to stand) in the way of MJ’s first Bulls dynasty between 1990 and 1996 . However, before we go all Vanilla Ice reminiscing about the 90’s in Miami, we must take a detour in Blacksburg, Virginia. More specifically at Virginia Tech University, where Coles is considered among the best to ever play for that school.

Bimbo was the prototypical high school stud at Greenbrier East High School in West Virginia. A four-sport superstar that was named All-America in football and could have played cornerback in college and got drafted as a shortstop by the Philadelphia Phillies, he chose to play basketball for coach Charles Moir at Virginia Tech after also being recruited by West Virginia and Maryland. That probably was the worst decision of his life.

Virginia Tech Days

Turmoil and scandal embroiled the Hokies basically as soon as Coles arrived. The team went from being 22-9 in the 1985-86 season to its first losing season since 1970 with a 10-18 record despite Coles’ efforts leading the team in assists as a freshman point guard.

Things got even worse from there. You see, VT got put on probation by the NCAA and banned from postseason play until 1990 because Moir’s team was full of sham “student-athletes” who didn’t graduate -not a single one of them- between 1981 and 1986, and got false credits for classes they didn’t take. That tiny detail must have escaped Moir’s mind when he recruited Coles, and it meant that the best point guard in the school’s history would never be able to showcase his talents in the NCAA Tournament.

Bimbo briefly thought of quitting basketball to play football. Who wouldn’t? He must have felt so betrayed.

Moir left with a legacy as the winningest coach of Virginia Tech’s basketball history. Coles’ legacy was going to be in the shadow of scandal and championships that could never be won on the court.

However, he showed maturity beyond his years and persevered. Then he got rewarded as a member of the 1988 USA Olympic Team.

OLYMPIC FRUSTRATION

Coles had made a brutal jump as a sophomore, averaging  24.2 points and 5.9 assists per game and allowing Virginia Tech to bounce back with a 19-10 record under Frankie Allen in the 1987-88 season. That caught USA Basketball coach John Thompson’s attention, and Coles was called upon alongside David Robinson, Dan Majerle and Danny Manning to earn a gold medal in South Korea. He is one of just 10 Olympians in Hokie history.

Coles played in all eight games but struggled to adapt to FIBA rules, averaging just 7.1 points and 0.9 assists in 19.8 minutes per game. That team would go 7-1 but lose in the semifinals to the hated Soviet Union 82-76. Bimbo Coles went 2-for-4 with six points and two assists in 18 minutes in that defeat.

The bronze medal was bittersweet, and it gave way to what would become the 1992 Dream Team Coles would only watch on TV four years later.

THE JUMP TO THE PROS FOR BIMBO COLES

Coles endured two more brutal losing seasons at Virginia Tech after that, but he left the school as its all-time leading scorer with 2484 career points, a record that still stands to this day. His number 12 would be retired on March 3, 1990, shortly after he played his last game as a Hokie.

Coles had a choice to make after graduating and sending a message (“Bimbo Coles is not just a basketball player, he is a student as well”, since the California Angels drafted him in the 54th round of the 1990 MLB Draft despite not having played baseball since high school. In fact, he was one of nine future NBA or NFL players drafted that year. Only four of them signed contracts, but Coles wasn’t one of them.

Landing with the Miami Heat

Instead, he would become a second-round draft pick, 40th overall by the Sacramento Kings thar same year and then promptly traded to the Miami Heat in a draft day trade for Rory Sparrow. Maybe he would have been picked higher with the national exposure the NCAA Tournament never gave him.

Sparrow would go on to play a single season for the Kings, while Coles asserted himself in Miami as a backup point guard, never starting more than 65 games but also never playing in less than 68 of them.

The 65-game stretch as a starter came during a perplexing 1994-95 season. Coles averaged 10.0 points and a career-high 6.1 assists during that campaign, but he wasn’t in the game that faithful night in April that Glen Rice scored 56 points against the Orlando Magic.

The Heat were beginning their reset/rebuild and would finish 34-48 that year, 11th in the East. Miami never finished higher than eighth or won more than 42 games in Coles’ first tenure. But they did make the playoffs in 1992 and ’94.

The lack of stability at the head coaching position in Miami didn’t help him much. Ron Rothstein coached him as a rookie, then Kevin Loughery between 1991 and 1995. Finally, Alvin Gentry coached in an interim basis after Loughery’s firing in 1995. The Heat would have just three head coaches (Riley, Van Gundy, Spoelstra) in the 25 years since.

Traded Away from Miami

Coles would eventually be traded to the Golden State Warriors during the 1996 trade deadline fo Tim Hardaway.

He never made it past the first round of the playoffs or averaged more than 10.6 points per game. He does boast being fifth all-time in Miami’s history with 1961 assists, 19 behind LeBron James. Coles also trails Chalmers, Hardaway and Wade in that category. As a matter of fact, Goran Dragic will probably dethrone him from the Top-5 if he remains with the Heat next season.

There aren’t any Miami highlights of him on YouTube. As the old lady in Titanic would say, he only exists in our memory.

Coles would make his basketball career come full circle as a 35-year-old. After playing for the Warriors, Hawks, Celtics and Cavaliers, Bimbo appeared in 22 games for the Heat in 2004. He started once for a young Heat squad that had a rookie Wade, Caron Butler and Lamar Odom.

That team did make it to the second round of the playoffs before losing to the Pacers in six games. Coles watched all of it from the bench as part of the coaching staff. His last NBA game was on February 20, 2004 in a 125-92 Heat win over the Hawks.

With his legacy secure, Coles has settled down in Virginia coaching the Greenbrier high school basketball team. He doesn’t have his signature college mustache anymore, but his love for the game remains.

Home is where the heart is, after all.

5 Things to Expect for Heat’s First Scrimmage Game

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The Heat’s first scrimmage game comes this Wednesday against the Kings, which is exciting for one reason. Basketball is back. This will be similar to a preseason game since players will try to get their bodies back in game shape. 

Here’s five things to expect from the Heat’s First Scrimmage on Wednesday.

#1: Every player on the roster will be utilized in the Heat’s First Scrimmage.

This became pretty clear after this week’s zoom call with Coach Erik Spoelstra when he said: “Everyone available will probably play.” That means that the minutes will be pretty much split across the board. This allows the team to see which guys are in game shape, and more importantly playoff shape. Coach Spoelstra will also be able to get a good look on who he will be able to trust in a playoff setting. But for now, every player will have a chance to show that they can play a major role on this team.

#2: There’ll be an abundance of -point shooting.

Three-point shooting is something that has become essential due to the game transforming into that style of play. Well, it’s something that we will probably see even more in this format. The G-League and Summer League are two great examples of this since there are more three point attempts in these games than a regular NBA game. For one, these scrimmage games will have the feel of a pickup basketball game, which usually is a lot of shooting. And the second reason is that guys will not be attacking the rim as much when they’re trying to get their legs back under them. These first few scrimmage games may be sloppy, but that’s why they’re having them. Either way, be prepared to see a lot of shooting from beyond the arc, especially with this team.

#3: Spoelstra will “tinker” with different schemes during the Heat’s first scrimmage.

Another thing that Spoelstra’s seemed to discuss on zoom calls is the use of different possible schemes. As he’s said, this format gives them even more time to drill stuff like zone-defense or basic switching principles. We’ll definitely see this in the scrimmage, so Spoelstra can get a feel for what will work in this format. As there’s been a lot of talk about players getting acclimated to this unique style of play, the coaches have as difficult a task as anyone. Coaches will need to be very flexible with their approaches since this is something they’ve never seen.

#4: They will try to find fitting lineups.

This is one of the only things that the Heat have not been able to figure out yet that other teams have. This is only because they weren’t able to see Tyler Herro and Meyers Leonard mix in with the new acquisitions in Jae Crowder and Andre Iguodala. These scrimmage games will give the team the opportunity to try out different lineups that Spoelstra can trust in tough spots. The players also have an idea of what lineups work and what don’t. Meyers Leonard started raving about the defensive versatilities of a lineup with Jimmy Butler-Derrick Jones Jr-Andre Iguodala-Jae Crowder-Bam Adebayo. All the players on this roster are invested in finding the best lineups that will help them win. This is exactly what will be exercised in the scrimmage games.

#5: Bold Prediction: A Gabe Vincent display.

The game against Sacramento on Wednesday will allow all the players on the roster to get some playing time. This includes Gabe Vincent. There has been a lot of talk about guys like Duncan Robinson, Goran Dragic, and Kendrick Nunn playing in this type of environment. Well, the player who has played in this environment most recently is Gabe Vincent. Not only did he play in the G-League recently, he was outstanding.

He won the G-League’s most improved player award for this season. We’ve seen his capabilities of being a lethal shooter. Though it’s been slightly inefficient when he’s gotten playing time this season with the Heat. But, he’s one of those guys that can get hot or that can spark your team. This was displayed in early February against the Clippers when he hit 3 consecutive threes. Don’t be shocked if Gabe goes on a shooting tear in the scrimmage games. He may earn himself some minutes for the regular season and postseason.

 

Spoelstra

5 Comments from Spoelstra, Butler, Robinson

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Erik Spoelstra hopped on another zoom call with media after practice tonight, along with Jimmy Butler and Duncan Robinson. The Heat had a bit of a break in tonight’s practice after an intense scrimmage yesterday. And with Kendrick Nunn and Bam Adebayo nearing return, this team is ready to get back at it on a regular basis.

Anyways, here’s what they had to say after practice today…

Comment #1: Spoelstra

One of the big question marks around this team heading into the postseason was their defense. Though it seemed as good as any at times early in the season, it began to tail off. This Heat team has a bunch of guys that are elite perimeter defenders, but most of their offensive talents lack in such areas. But, Erik Spoelstra seems to be confident in fixing that, saying “I see great potential in our defense.” And this is definitely true, but they will need a bit more from their guards on the defensive side of the ball if they want to take that next step.

Comment #2:

Jimmy Butler seems ready to go for the scrimmage on Wednesday night and has a few things in mind for the game.  For one, he says he wants to “Just get comfortable hooping again.” This seems like the clear task for everyone since most players haven’t picked up a basketball since early March. He also says another plan for the scrimmage is “Making sure we are still playing for one another.” This is one of the main factors of a winning Heat team, which is why it’s great that their leader, and Spoelstra, is keeping this a priority.

Comment #3:

Jimmy Butler got asked about the news that got released late last week about a noise complaint being reported on him. He responded to it with, “I get a lot of knocks on my door…None of it really surprises me.” He also says that most of the knocks are his teammates, except this particular one of course when it was a security guard. Jimmy seems to actually like the notion of people knowing his working saying “To know my work is being noticed is not such a bad thing.” That right there defines Jimmy Butler. He knows he will outwork any competitor, and he wants them to know.

Comment #4:

There’s been a lot of discussion about some players needing some time to get back in to their prior selves. Well, Duncan doesn’t seemed to worried about it when talking about his shooting, saying “I don’t feel like it goes anywhere. That didn’t disappear over quarantine.” The most important attribute to a consistent shooter is confidence. This is something that Duncan has which is why he won’t have any problems getting back into the swing of things. He also says that you have to build synergy with your teammates and “that’s a process.” This basically reiterates what Jimmy said earlier when talking about the scrimmage games. This seems to be the most essential part of getting back to their prior selves.

Comment #5:

Jimmy Butler got asked about his shooting struggles throughout this season and responded “I’m just fine with how my game was…If we win a championship, I guarantee no one will be talking about my jumper.” There seems to be a current notion that you need to be able to shoot to be successful. Jimmy has shown that he’d rather put most of his efforts into defense, play-making, and attacking the rim, and leave the shooting for the rest of the team. This style of play seemed to be pretty productive all season, which is why Jimmy has no worries about changing his game now. And if the Heat were to win a championship, I’m sure there’d be a lot of things people won’t be talking about when discussing Jimmy Butler.

5 Key Moments from Interviews with Spoelstra, Vincent, Leonard

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The Miami Heat had another intense practice in the Orlando bubble late Sunday night. They got to do a lot more 5 on 5 work tonight, since they’re getting closer and closer to the return of play. Well, here’s some things that were said after practice…

Post-Practice Comment #1:

There has been a lot of talk this week from Spoelstra about the different defenses that may be used heading into the postseason. Well, he took a different approach tonight saying that they “created an identity and found some success with that.” He’s not worried about forming new defensive schemes as much as he’s worried about improving the current ones. One of the main defensive changes we may see will be the different defensive lineups that Coach Spoelstra tends to lean to. Will it be a veteran in Andre Iguodala or a young guy in Derrick Jones Jr? Only time will tell.

Post-Practice Comment #2:

The Miami Heat’s first scrimmage game is this Wednesday against the Sacramento Kings. Spoelstra seems to be very eager for this match-up saying, “I have to tell my staff to tell me to calm down.” He says before he jumps into it, he needs to see who will be available. Then adds, “Everyone available will probably play.” This game will be taken as a pre-season game, which is essentially what it is. But the Heat will be taking this game as serious as any other, since Spoelstra says he has a bunch of things to accomplish.

Post-Practice Comment #3:

Gabe Vincent got to talk to some media after practice tonight and seemed pretty confident in his role with this team. He first discusses the amount of elite level shooting in the NBA, which lead to him watching a lot of film on some of the best spot up shooters. He also says that he thinks he can be utilized the same way that Duncan Robinson is now and Wayne Ellington in the past. He also considers himself a major threat to pull up or create on the perimeter. Be ready to see a lot of minutes from Gabe Vincent in both the scrimmages and regular season games, especially since he has the capability of getting hot. Very hot.

Post-Practice Comment #4:

Meyers Leonard was asked how to define the Most Improved Player award. He responded, “It’s Bam.” He also adds, “You talk about a young guy developing into a superstar right before our eyes.” Meyers continues to rave about how great Bam is, but I’d like to think Meyers may have a little something to do with his improvement. The assistance of Meyers on and off the court this season for Bam has been absolutely tremendous. His ability to stretch the floor for Bam and give Bam the ball where he is most comfortable has been a huge part in the growth of this developing “superstar.”

Post-Practice Comment #5:

Meyers talks about the amount of versatility there is across the board on this team. He says, “Imagine a lineup of Jimmy-DJJ-Jae-Andre-Bam.” The pure excitement that Meyers shows when he talks about his teammates is absolutely unmatched. It shows the amount of confidence they have in each other every single night. This statement also refers back to the Erik Spoelstra comment on improving their current defensive schemes. Playing around with these types of lineups in a playoff setting will be key since there are some vulnerabilities on the floor at times on defense. Either way, this entire team will be ready for their name to be called on any given night.

5 Takeaways from Post-Practice Interviews with Iguodala, Dragic, Spoelstra

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The Miami Heat finished up a late practice tonight in the Orlando bubble. Afterward, Andre Iguodala, Goran Dragic, and Erik Spoelstra spoke with some media as they get closer and closer to their first scrimmage game this Wednesday. Here’s what was said…

Post-Practice Comment #1:

Coach Erik Spoelstra was asked about the current status of Bam Adebayo and Kendrick Nunn and if they would return in the next few days. Spoelstra responded with the words “we’ll see.” It seems as everything is “we’ll see” when discussing the circumstances of Covid-19, since there is truly so much unknown. Although, there seems to be a bunch of optimism upon them returning pretty soon, which will be much needed for this Miami Heat team to succeed.

Post-Practice Comment #2:

There’s been a lot of talk about players being able to talk with players from other teams, but there hasn’t been a lot of buzz about coaches. Erik Spoelstra said that he talked to some opposing coaches, including Utah Jazz coach Quin Snyder, about different game plans in the bubble. This is something no coach has been able to do before or thought about doing, especially Erik. But, Spoelstra has used the word “adjusting” many times over the last week which is a clear clue that he will adapt to whatever circumstances.

Post-Practice Comment #3:

Andre Igudala discussed Heat’s rookie Tyler Herro today in a very positive way. He says, “He wants to be great for a really long time.” This has been proven true through his clear hard working attitude and winning mentality. Andre talks about how he wants to help Tyler both on and off the court. He says he is there for him if he needs help with the approachment of things like endorsements and social issues. This is another reason why having a veteran guy like Andre Iguodala on this team is so essential.

Post-Practice Comment #4:

Since two veterans got to talk with media tonight, there was a lot of talk about the young guys. Goran talked about Duncan Robinson, saying “He’s always first in the gym.” When the team usually talks about Duncan, it usually is about his lethal shooting. But not today. It’s about his hard working attitude. It seems like the players have an even more locked in attitude than usual. He also says that Duncan always wants to improve, which if he was able to improve his defense and shots off the dribble, he’d be an even bigger eye sore for teams.

Post-Practice Comment #5:

Coach Spoelstra also got to talking about the different defensive schemes we will see after this long hiatus. He says that this type of environment benefits this because they have more time to drill the zone defense. This is something that we most definitely might see more of in the playoffs. Either if its to lock up a 76ers team in a first round match-up or to catch the Indiana Pacers off guard. It seemed pretty productive this season when it was used, especially to help Heat bigs like Meyers Leonard. Spoelstra also said he will be drilling the basic switching principles over the next few practices to make sure his team is 100% ready.

5 Main Comments from Spoelstra, Olynyk, Hill Interviews

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As these post-practice interviews continue, you begin to see more of a comfortability in the players as they continue to adjust to these unique circumstances. Here’s what Coach Erik Spoelstra, Solomon Hill, and Kelly Olynyk had to say to the media today…

Post-Practice Comment #1

Solomon Hill started off his interview today with media on Heat’s star Jimmy Butler. He says that he can see how some people can create ideas and stories about him. He follows this point explaining how much of a competitor Jimmy is and how he shows it every time he walks onto the court. This is a perfect example of Jimmy showing his teammates what to do instead of just telling them. Solomon also says, “He defines Miami Heat. He defines Heat culture.” It’s been pretty obvious that this is true all season with his hard-work, leadership, and winning mindset.

Post-Practice Comment #2

Coach Erik Spoelstra was asked about the troubles of maintaining focus in the bubble without being distracted. He responded, “It’s not as challenging as everybody thinks on the outside.” He continues to say that it’s actually much easier to remain focused in this format since there’s nothing to do. He also mentions that he appreciates the idea of pushing the bubble protocols. He said, “This is not something we have experience or expertise in.” He basically wants everybody to be on the same page, which he seems to think has been going pretty smoothly.

Post-Practice Comment #3

Kelly Olynyk talked about how unusual it will be for teams to play in front of no fans. He seemed pretty optimistic about it, saying “There’ll be less distractions.” This means that the only thing on players minds will be basketball. Since well, that’s the only thing to think about in the bubble. He continues to talk about the conditions, saying they have never been seen at this high of a level. Although the no fans circumstances seem unusual, they benefit the Heat greatly since there’s been a lot of summer league, international, and community college play.

Post-Practice Comment #4

When Kelly was asked about the defensive schemes of this Heat team, he says “You have to have a little bit of everything in your arsenal.” This is indeed true for both the playoffs in general and these different circumstances. We have seen the Heat’s zone be used quite a few times this season, particularly to shut down the Philadelphia 76ers early in the season. Kelly continues to say “If you give any team a steady look at one thing, you’re gonna be in trouble.” We know Coach Spoelstra will have everything in his arsenal on the defensive side of the ball, especially in a playoff setting.

Post-Practice Comment #5

Kelly Olynyk also speaks about what he likes most about this Heat’s team. He talks about how this group of guys make each other better since everybody has different strengths. He says they’ve got guys who can slash, rebound, shoot, and have athleticism. And this is definitely true. This Heat team has a full roster of guys that are capable of getting hot on any given night. Which is why Erik Spoelstra will be trying out different lineups and players throughout the regular season games, to see who he can trust once the playoffs begin.

 

5 Key Moments from Spoelstra, Herro, Silva Interviews

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After another day of 5 on 5 practice, Tyler Herro and Chris Silva talked to media along with Coach Erik Spoelstra. Here are 5 Key Moments from Spoelstra, Herro, Silva Interviews.

Spoelstra, Herro, Silva Interviews Comment #1:

There was some pretty unique news reported last night by Chris Haynes about Miami Heat’s own Jimmy Butler. It was reported that there was a noise complaint in the hotel, and when security got to the room, it was Jimmy Butler drenched in sweat in the middle of a full workout. Coach Spoelstra seemed to enjoy this, saying “That’s why I love Jimmy.” He continued to talk about his work ethic and described him with the word discipline. He says Jimmy is so unique with his workout times, nutrition, consistency, and more.

Comment #2:

Tyler Herro received the same question that Spoelstra did earlier in the interview. Tyler Herro was not surprised at all when he heard the news about Jimmy, since he’s seen Jimmy’s drive all season. He says that Jimmy was probably “bored in his room,” and usually causes him to do what he does best which is put in more work. The phrase “not surprised” is used all the time by teammates of Jimmy Butler. The team knows how he is which is why they respect him so much on and off the court.

Comment #3:

Tyler Herro talked about his health standpoint and the shape he is in after the hiatus. He says “I’m the best I’ve ever felt in my life.” This is a good sign due to the fact that it’s pretty much the exact opposite for other players in the bubble as of right now. Tyler follows this statement discussing his body fat and says it’s down to 5.5%. It seems as if that Jimmy Butler hard work is contagious throughout the locker room, especially since the coaches made sure they stayed in shape as well during the hiatus with zoom workouts.

Comment #4:

Chris Silva also got to talk to media today. He discussed the topic that seems to come up a lot in these interviews. Depth. He says he doesn’t think everybody is going to play as many minutes, which will definitely be true for the eight regular season games and probably the first round. Chris Silva will be ready to play if his name gets called once the season return. He may see the court a lot during the regular season since Spoelstra will be playing around with different lineups. Chris also talked about the impact this virus had on him personally. He planned on returning home to Gabon before the pandemic.

Comment #5:

Erik Spoelstra talks about the depth of this team once again. He says, “I don’t know if there’s ever been more of a need for depth.” This is definitely true for a couple different reasons. Guys will need some time to get back in game shape, which means there’ll be more of a need to get fresh legs on the court. Another reason is that this format is different than anything the NBA has ever seen, which means this playoffs may not only benefit veterans. Young guys may flourish in this type of format, which is why Erik Spoelstra will be playing around with this roster as much as he can before the playoffs start.

 

Butler, Spoelstra and DJJ interviews

5 Takeaways from Jimmy Butler, Spoelstra, DJJ Interviews

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The Miami Heat are slowly making their way into more intense practices this week after taking the day off yesterday to watch film. Here’s some post-practice comments from the Butler, Spoelstra and DJJ Interviews.

Post-Practice Comment #1:

There has been a lot of questions about KZ Okpala after the Heat drafted him in the second round this past year. He’s been going back and forth between Sioux Falls and the Heat roster all season. And it seems too familiar. No matter if it’s an un-drafted guy or a second round pick, the Heat always has a young prodigy flying under the radar. Coach Spoelstra also says “He’s learning how to do things at a more intense level with detail…and I like it.” It seems as if Spoelstra is just as intrigued with him as Heat fans are.

Post-Practice Comment #2:

Jimmy Butler starts off the interview with his Social Justice message on his jersey. He chose to not put a message on his jersey, just as LeBron James said he would do a couple days prior. But he also wants to not include his name on the back of his jersey, saying “I am no different than anyone of color. I want that to be my message.” He also says later in the interview that he sees a lot of talking on Social Justice topics, but he wants to see more action. Jimmy is still working on getting the approval to have no name on the back of his jersey.

Post-Practice Comment #3:

The NBA world has been waiting for the match-up of Jimmy Butler and TJ Warren after the altercation early in the season. And it seems as if Jimmy Butler still hasn’t forgotten about it. Jimmy says “I’m pretty sure you can’t see the smile that’s on my face,” when thinking about that TJ Warren match-up. He gives the Indiana Pacers credit by saying they’re a very good team, but closes the topic with “I’m taking the Miami Heat twice.” Which pretty much sums up this whole teams confidence in each other.

Post-Practice Comment #4:

With Derrick Jones Jr’s contract up after this season, there has been a lot of question marks about his decision. The salary cap may be a little tight with other players including Goran Dragic, Jae Crowder, and Meyers Leonards having their contracts up as well. But though there may be more money thrown at Derrick from other teams. He says, “I never want to be on another team.” He love everything about this team including the style of play, which is defense. Derrick said, “I’m gonna just keep doing exactly what I do. Guard the best player, make his life miserable.” This quote right here proves that the Heat don’t want him on another team as well.

Post-Practice Comment #5:

There has been a lot of complaints and comments inside the bubble over the last week about food, rooms, and more. But this doesn’t include one Heat player. Jimmy sums it up for the rest of the team. “We do get to eat, we do get a roof over our heads. For a lot of people, it could be worse. For a lot of us, it has been worse.” He adds that he is speaking for the team. But some of the others have expressed the same idea over the last few days. This type of answer shows this team is ready. They’re not here for a vacation, it’s a business trip. And like Jimmy said earlier in the interview, “I think you can count on this Miami Heat team.”

Forgotten Heat in Miami: Ricky Davis

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Let me tell you the story of Tyree Ricardo Davis, you may know him as “Ricky”. Ricky Davis was J.R. Smith and Dion Waiters before there were memes, a misunderstood player with a long NBA career that spanned more than an entire decade and two different stints in Miami.

You think you would remember him more clearly if he was with the Heat twice in his career, wouldn’t you? In fact, he didn’t miss a single regular-season game the second time around during the team’s disastrous 2007-08 campaign. However, you struggle to come up with an image of him in the red-and-white jersey and all you seem to come up with is “Oh yeah, he is that guy that went AWOL for mysterious reasons for a while, isn’t he?”

Maybe this anecdote about his fine money funding a team outing to Atlantic City best sums up what his career was in Miami and elsewhere:

Allow me to introduce you to the kid born in Las Vegas that bet it all on himself, thought he was better than a certain future King and certainly put on a show until time found him destined to become yet another “Forgotten Heat”.

AN OVERLOOKED PRODIGY

Davis spent the first 12 years of his life in Vegas, but it wasn’t until his family moved to the small city of Davenport, Iowa that he truly tapped into the potential he had as a basketball player.

Imagine the buzz around Davenport North High School as the kid who had dunked as an eighth grader in a junior high game was about to join its ranks. Davis was the most exciting thing to happen to a city of fewer than 100,000 people since…well, ever. How many times can you walk up and down the Riverfront before you say “Yeah, this is nice, what else is there?”

Davis played for Davenport’s varsity team since he was a freshman and was named to the All-State squad as a junior, he even played Center for Davenport at one point, but he was never a state champion or named a McDonald’s All-American. The national spotlight eluded him, and the gap between what he perceived himself to be and what others saw him as started to widen along with the chip on the shoulders that carried the weight of expectations.

Heading to the League

Ricky could have emulated fellow prep star Tracy McGrady and entered the 1997 NBA Draft out of high school, but he opted to play for coach Tom Wilson at the University of Iowa, a preseason Top 15 program, instead.

That team had four future NBAers and was led by a determined Davis, who averaged 15.0 points per game to become the highest scoring Iowa freshman of the past 25 years, a mark that still stands to this day.

Iowa went 20-11 in the 1997-98 season with Ricky as its offensive stalwart, but it didn’t make the NCAA Tournament. Davis didn’t garner any individual honors either while Michael Olowokandi, Antawn Jamison, Vince Carter and Paul Pierce hogged the spotlight.

He decided to enter the 1998 Draft after just one year of college basketball anyway. In hindsight, a year or two more of development would have been ideal for him…but he was going to show them. He was going to show them all that fame and glory were his destiny.

HELLO, MIAMI

Olowokandi went first, Jamison fourth, Carter fifth, and Pierce ninth. Davis had to wait until the 21st pick to be selected by the Charlotte Hornets, where he played with future Miami Heat teammate Eddie Jones. In fact, Jones helped him in the 2000 Slam Dunk Contest, where he was a last-minute addition after Jamison was injured, but he was no match for “Vinsanity”.

Eddie Jones was an All-Star and had asked for a trade out of an underachieving Hornets team, so Davis ended up joining him in a nine-player extravaganza that would become the largest trade in Miami Heat history.

The Heat were poised to contend and reach the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history during that 2000-01 season, but Davis barely played seven games before breaking his right foot and watching the Heat get unceremoniously swept by his former Hornets teammates in the first round of the playoffs.

That had to hurt.

Davis wouldn’t make long-term plans in Miami. The 22-year-old guard was traded in a multi-team deal to the Cleveland Cavaliers before the 2001-02 season for Chris Gatling, a marginal veteran.

The Cavs would go on to be 29-53 that year, but Davis had a successful individual season playing all 82 games and improving his scoring average from 4.6 to 11.7 points per game off the bench.

He seemed to be finding a home in Cleveland, blossoming as a potential franchise player and getting recognition for highlights such as a beastly dunk on Steve Nash.

 

“I dare him to try that again,” Nash said. Don’t mess with Canada, Ricky.

Davis’s Production

Davis averaged a career-high 20.6 points per game and starting 76 of them.  However, Cleveland was going from bad to worse collectively at 17-65 and Davis was getting a bad reputation.  His misdeeds included butting heads with coach Paul Silas and intentionally missing his own shot to grab a rebound and get a triple-double as time expired in a 120-95 Cavaliers win at home over the Utah Jazz

 

That pissed many people off, including the commonly reserved Jazz coach Jerry Sloan ( “I would have fouled him too. I would have knocked him on his ass”) while some sportswriters even called for his suspension and fans nicknamed him “Wrong Rim Ricky.”

Davis and LeBron

None of that truly mattered anyway. Cleveland was eagerly awaiting the arrival of “The King”, the hometown hero who would make everything right.

Ricky Davis initially thought that LeBron was there to be his sidekick, but the rookie had other plans and averaged 20.9 points as Cleveland’s leading scorer while Ricky averaged 15.3 in 22 games before being traded to the Boston Celtics in December as his lack of on-court chemistry with LeBron was evident and Davis was no mentor for him.

“I knew (LeBron) was the real thing when he came in….it was the era when no boys where allowed.”

 

The Cavs had chosen sides. LeBron was selfless, while Davis was selfish. A self-centered shooting guard that put the emphasis on “shooting”. Davis was becoming a basketball nomad with his fourth team in six seasons.

That wouldn’t change in the upcoming years as he would be traded from Boston to Minnesota in 2006 despite being appreciated by fans, and then back to Miami for an unexpected second stint under Pat Riley that Davis called “life changing.”

That trade was seen as a win for the Heat, which was able to unload the Antoine Walker deal. But in reality it was just exchanging one erratic shooter for another.

“It was a good trade for Miami; I didn’t think it was a good trade for Antoine,” Paul Pierce said at the time, and he was wrong as usual.

Wade’s Wingman

Ricky Davis was supposed to be Dwyane Wade’s sidekick and help lead Miami’s resurgence just two years removed from a championship. However, Wade was hampered by a shoulder injury that would limit him to 51 games that season. The Miami offense ended up running through Davis most of the time.

“We will run all of the things we run for Dwyane for [Davis], so we don’t have to change our offense that much,” Riley said before the 2007-08 season.

Bad idea. Davis played all 82 games for the second time in his career in a sixth man role. He started 47 of them, but barely averaged 13.8 points while playing 36 minutes a game. He also dealt with personal issues, including a five-game suspension for failing the league’s Anti-Drug program.

His lone shining moment came in April, 2008. He went off to tie a Miami Heat record of three-pointers in a single game with nine. His 33 points weren’t enough in a 109-95 loss against the Wizards.

By this point in his career, over a decade in, his demons were stronger than his talent. They would also be his demise.

Just like in Cleveland, Davis’ expanded role didn’t translate into wins. The Heat went 15-67. Davis helped drive Riley into coaching retirement before being traded to the Clippers in July, 2008.

His life as a basketball nomad continued with two forgettable seasons in Los Angeles before being waived in 2010. He would never step foot in an NBA court again.

Ricky Davis: WANDERING AND WONDERING

PHILADELPHIA, PA – JULY 16: Ricky Davis #31 of the Ghost Ballers. (Photo by Rob Carr/BIG3/Getty Images)

The following decade would see him play in Turkey, China, France, Puerto Rico and the NBA D-League between 2011 and 2013, where he suffered one final indignity after being waived by the Erie BayHawks having averaged 8.5 points and 3.3 rebounds in 11 games.

He seems to have found a home with the “Big 3” basketball league as the co-captain of the Ghost Ballers. But he also never forgot about Miami. Davis actually made it a point to give back to the South Florida community before playing there in 2018.

If Davis hadn’t had such a big chip on his shoulder, if he had been more about “we” than “me”, then maybe he would have won a ring as a supporting player in a contender. Now he is just a fleeting memory of what could have been.

For the first two chapters of the “Forgotten Heat” saga, click here and here.

Miami Heat(Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images)

5 Post-Practice Comments from Miami Heat in Orlando

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After the Miami Heat arrived to Orlando on Wednesday, they needed to quarantine before returning to practice. Today, they returned to practicing for the first time since early March.

Here’s some takeaways from interviews with the team…

Miami Heat in Orlando Post-Practice Comment 1:

Miami Heat practice in Orlando, and basketball is back. And it seems as if the players are just as excited as the fans are. Erik Spoelstra mentions that he’s “never seen a team move as fast as this team” on their way to get to the gym this afternoon. He also talks about the teams excitement on the court, discussing such things as each others hairstyles. Coach Spoelstra says “You can feel an incredible genuine sense of enthusiasm.” Like many people have mentioned about this Heat team, they enjoy being around each other, which means this bubble situation helps this Heat team.

Post-Practice Comment 2:

This team is full of many vocal leaders on and off the court. But there’s no one better than Miami’s own Udonis Haslem. He says he was very vocal today in their first day back, and told the guys today “it’s time to work.” And the thing is about this team, we know they all were ready to work. He also uses the words “locked in,” which he means in a couple different ways. He says during the interview that he is only going to keep to his team during his time in the bubble, even with the history of him and LeBron James. This team is indeed locked in and ready.

Post-Practice Comment 3:

While there has been a lot of speculation about this unique postseason, Spoelstra says he will use these scrimmage and regular season games to figure out his lineup. He once again says, “Our depth is going to be a factor,” which has been one of the many advantages for the Miami Heat heading into the playoffs. Even Udonis Haslem says he’s ready to go out their and play if Coach Spoelstra looks his way. Spoelstra also mentions that they will not prepare any differently for this postseason than they would for a traditional playoffs. He says “We will prepare the way a typical Miami Heat team would.”

Post-Practice Comment 4:

Goran Dragic says he felt good today during the first team practice in about four months. But he says it’ll be interesting to see how he feels once they do full contact drills starting tomorrow. It was also told that Meyers Leonard was a “full go” and “he’s moving great.” The team’s health is looking pretty promising according to the coaches and players, which will end up being a major factor once teams work their way back in to 100%.

Post-Practice Comment 5:

And of course the money quote. Udonis Haslem discusses Jamal Crawford getting signed and replacing him as oldest in the league. He replies with “I’m still the sexiest guy in the league.” Seems like Udonis Haslem is in good spirits upon the NBA’s return and is ready to prepare his guys for a postseason run.

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